


Lulamoon's Castle

by bookishdelight



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Developing Friendships, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, because trixie, talking it out, that's about it really, trixie being trixie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 07:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17382620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookishdelight/pseuds/bookishdelight
Summary: Days after Tirek's near-takeover of Equestria, The Great And Powerful Trixie travels to Ponyville, intent on settling her rivalry with Twilight Sparkle once and for all. No trinkets to fudge her abilities, no megalomania to apologize for -- just pure and simple magician's honor!Upon her arrival, however, she quickly learns that the information she has on Ponyville -- and Twilight -- is more than alittledated.





	1. Earth Bound

A stack of notebooks, messy and frayed, were magically floated into a box. A set of glasses and beakers were placed into another. Magical ingredients went into still another box.

Trixie cast a cooling spell on the ingredients box to keep its contents fresh. She wondered if it'd be possible to convince the staff to let her take some of the textbooks. Then again, given what she'd just requested, she wasn't sure the staff would listen to her ever again.

It was just as well. She needed to pack light until she could find some mode of transportation. She'd been looking at used wagons for two weeks. Most of the ones which fit her budget, and could be sold to a mare as young as herself, were rather tiny.

Still, Canterlot wasn't built in a day. She doubted anypony's first wagon was anything to write home about. She'd learn more, earn more, then buy herself a worthy home!

All in due time.

But this had to be the first step.

She sighed, sealing the boxes one by one. Once the final box was shut, Trixie heard a soft, lilting voice behind her.

"Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

Trixie turned around to see a white alicorn with flowing multicolored hair towering over her.

She knew this moment would come. She'd been trying to figure out what to say.

She decided to speak her mind -- but first, she bowed. It was not only courteous, it was custom.

Princess Celestia chuckled. "No need, my student. I simply wish to talk to you -- mare to mare, magician to magician. I must say, when your request was forwarded to me, I was rather surprised. I hadn't thought you to be unsatisfied here."

Trixie shook her head. "I'm not doing this out of dissatisfaction. You've been nothing but kind. Though heaven knows I haven't always deserved that kindness."

"Then if not dissatisfied, what are you?" Celestia asked.

Trixie looked around her learning room. Shelves of spellbooks stood against one wall, but the rest of the now-bare room commanded her attention. She remembered there being scrolls, formulas, and designs scattered across the walls. The table in the center had always been full of magical nick-nacks. Her blackboard -- and whiteboard -- had never been erased until today.

Now all that was left, anywhere, were small stains and scorch marks -- leftovers from experiments and pyrotechnic spells which hadn't gone exactly to plan.

Taking it all in, she finally whispered what she swore she never would.

"I'm scared."

Celestia stayed quiet.

"Every student here, I see doing the same thing," Trixie said. "Every student here gets  _told_  the same thing. 'Gifted.' 'Destined for greatness.' We're the cream of the crop of unicorn mages."

She looked to Celestia, silently seeking validation of her statement. Celestia returned Trixie's gaze with a straight face.

"Do you think it untrue?" Celestia asked.

"I..." Trixie struggled to find the words. "...well,  _no_ , of course not! But I see us all learning the same things, the same way, in the same place. Equestria is an immense world. There's no way I'd learn everything I could by staying here. To really know who I am, what I'm capable of? I need to be  _out there_." She pointed to the window.

Celestia nodded. "I can sympathize with your frustration with structure and limits." Her eyes twinkled. "You should have seen me when I first took on my duties. I swore I'd never allow myself to be as stuffy as the ancient pony rulers." She gave a sardonic scoff. "And yet, here we are.

"But Trixie," Celestia continued, "you  _are_  gifted. You wouldn't be here if you were not. Nor would you have lasted this long even given your... occasional stumbles."

Trixie looked away. "Stumbles I'm not proud of."

"But stumbles we as equine beings must  _all_  make." Celestia took Trixie's hoof in hers. "I want you to know that I didn't create this school to groom ponies for predetermined destinies. I created it to give them as much preparation as needed, so that they could then  _choose_  what they wanted to do with their lives."

Celestia levitated a signed piece of paper towards Trixie.

"If you truly believe in the path you are about to take, then I will not stop you. I hereby grant your request. But I want you to remember one thing, for as long as you live."

Trixie stood at attention, staring straight up at Celestia with wide eyes. "Th-that being?" she stammered.

"Out in the 'immense' world of Equestria, there are ponies, and other things, that will test you. However, you've been here long enough for me to see that confidence is your greatest asset. Never let it falter, and you will be able to weather any storm."

Celestia looked directly into Trixie's eyes with a small smile. She levitated a blue hat which had been sitting amongst the sealed boxes -- a prop from a failed talent show act -- atop the unicorn's head. Trixie responded with a warm blush.

"You are destined for great things, Trixie," Celestia said. "Whether you like it or not."

\---

Her carriage's window showed a constantly-moving view of the countryside. Grass, trees, meadows... Trixie stuck her head out of the window and took a huge whiff of fresh air. She exhaled, felt the breeze in her mane, and relaxed.

Her relaxation didn't last. Memories of the past week still lingered in her mind. All too easily, all too vividly, she remembered aimlessly roaming the land, completely devoid of the very thing that made her  _her_ , a cold husk residing where an everlasting spark should have been.

Those memories still made her shudder, especially when they came to fixate, as they always did, on the source of her plight.

The dread Lord Tirek.

She'd learned of him as a foal before seeing him in person. He wasn't supposed to have come back. Then again, that could be said about a lot of villains these days.

Naturally, she had stood up to him. She had given him everything she had... and in the end, driven him off all by herself! It would make for an excellent story to tell far and wide during her performances!

That is, if that last part was at all true.

What had  _actually_  happened? She was sucked dry of her magic, drop by drop, with not a single way to stop it. He didn't even have the courtesy to leave her with her cutie mark as he walked off in cackling triumph! Never had she felt so embarrassed, so humiliated, so...  _violated_.

Trixie refused to let such a crime go unpunished. She set about devising ways to take back what was hers.

Her planning only lasted a day. In almost as little time as it had taken to lose her magic and identity, both were restored. Tirek disappeared entirely. And she had a pretty good hunch as to who might have been responsible.

Which was why it was time.

The carriage left the grass and went back onto smooth, paved road. Trixie walked to the other side of her room, and stood in front of her dresser mirror. She flipped her mane, striking a pose.

"Twilight Sparkle! Prepare yourself, for today is the day that we finally settle things! You may be good, but I'm still better... and it's time the world finally knew!"

Trixie paused and frowned. Too plain. She struck another pose, this one a guarded stance on her hind hooves.

"Hello. My name is Trixie Lulamoon. You bruised my ego.  _Prepare to lose_."

She paused to let it sink in. Still not enough. Perhaps, she thought, just a little more zing. A little more...  _magic_.

She tried once more, pointing at her reflection in defiance, and casting a spell that lit the entire room in golden brilliance.

Her voice rose, loud and proclaiming. "Do you see, Twilight Sparkle? The Great Trixie radiates with an awesome power! This  _burning strength_  tells me to  _defeat-_ "

Gah! Too much! Far, far too much. She stopped where she was, recoiling and embarrassed. The golden light dissipated in an instant.

Trixie sighed. " _None_  of these sound right." She snorted in dismissal. "Pah, fine then. The Great And Powerful Trixie will simply have to wing it."

The view outside of her window suddenly became static, and a bell sounded. This was it. The spell she'd set on the carriage was fashioned to take her straight to Ponyville, following all valid roads, and stop a fair distance away from Twilight Sparkle's house.

She went to her door, opened it, and stepped out.

Indeed, this was Ponyville as she remembered it. Rural and rustic, with only the tiniest snippets of civilization. Then again, earth ponies were never fond of change.

Change, however, was a sentiment that Trixie fully embraced. She took a look back towards what some pony passersby were already staring at -- a grand, freshly painted blue carriage bearing her cutie mark.

And three times larger than the piddly wagon she'd previously owned.

Her heart swelled. It had taken her a long time before she could afford the carriage, and she was more than proud to call it home. She couldn't wait to show Twilight Sparkle all she'd learned, and all she'd gained. This would be where she would start.

As soon as Trixie managed to  _find_  Twilight Sparkle, that was.

Had her spell gone wrong? She couldn't find that old treehouse anywhere. Moreover, there was an odd, ever-present brightness, the source of which she just couldn't place.

She spun around, trying to find it. Had they installed a reflective light source she wasn't aware of? Such a prospect seemed to be just a little advanced for this town-

Then, she found it.

And she found herself unable to stop looking at it.

Nor could she stop gaping.

"You there!" She pulled a nearby aquamarine pony to her side. "Excuse me, but-"

" _Whoa,_  hey!" Lyra recoiled after seeing who had grabbed her. "Aren't you...  _yeah!_  You're that magician that tried to take over our town last time you were here!"

Trixie huffed. "First off, The Great And Powerful Trixie  _did_  take over your town. Second, it wasn't one of her finest moments. And finally, none of that's important right now!" She gestured with her right hoof towards the crystalline tree-castle that stood prominently in the distance. "Now tell Trixie, who does this... this  _grandiose monstrosity_ belong to?"

Lyra gave a challenging smile. "None other than Twilight Sparkle herself."

Trixie nearly choked. " _Twilight?_ "

"That's right! So if you try anything this time, you're not going to last long! Enjoy your stay in Ponyville!" Lyra trotted off, her head held high with pride.

Trixie looked back at the castle, gaping again.

"Twi... light," she just barely managed to utter, unable to fight back the rising tide of frustration.

\---

"Spike? Spiiiiiiike?" Twilight called.

"Spike? Spiiiiiiike?" the halls called back.

Twilight sighed. It was easy to get tired of this. Only a few days living in the castle, and she'd had to train herself to both walk and speak more softly in order to avoid confusion -- or worse, earaches.

Did Princess Celestia have to put up with this? Had she come up with some sort of magical soundproofing solution? She made a note to ask these questions the next time they met.

In the meantime, she had a dragon to find.

"Spike, talk to me so I can stop talking to myself! Where are you?"

Silence responded at first, then... "Uh, a room?"

He sounded close. Twilight poked her head into a nearby room, finding nothing. She repeated this three more times, her face etched in an annoyed frown. " _Which_  room?"

"A... big one?" Spike said.

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head.  _All_ the rooms were big. "I'm gonna need more than that, Spike."

"Marco!" Pinkie Pie's voice echoed across the halls.

" _Pinkie?_ " a surprised Spike called out.

"You're supposed to say 'Polo', Spike!" Pinkie replied.

Twilight threw up her hooves, then hunched. She shook her head again as she walked down the hall. "How many floors did the library have? Three. How many times did we get lost in it? Zero. This is ridiculous."

Twilight's tirade was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. She gasped, running toward the sound. Along the way, she found Spike.

"Twilight," Spike said, "Did you hear that?"

"I think  _Celestia_  heard that!" Twilight replied.

"SPAR-KLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!" the same voice cried out.

The two looked at each other, then located a window. Looking outside, they saw The Great And Powerful Trixie laying at the front of the castle doors, unconscious.


	2. Rock Bottom

There was no magic where Trixie was.

There was no joy. There was no fun, no laughter, no adoration of pony audiences. There was no  _audience_.

There were only rocks.

_Could rocks be made into an audience?_  Trixie mused. Probably not a satisfied one, considering what she had been told to do with them. And she had no choice but to do it, because her previous profession was, to put it in the most technical of terms, kaput.

_And they say Princess Celestia is never wrong,_  Trixie thought to herself as she brought the hammer down on yet another stone.  _Honestly, these stupid things take far too long to break! There has to be a better way..._

It'd been a while since she'd used her magic. Nopony wanted her to. Once ponies had found out that her grand tales of defeating Ursas and Cerberi and all other manner of creatures were false, nopony wanted to hear anything else she had to say. Much less see anything she had to offer.

Her wagon defaced, her name besmirched, her livelihood dissolved. She pressed on -- but it was the same story wherever she went.

_And all because of one purple unicorn who I now know went the complete opposite direction I did! "Great things," indeed. "Great things" like heading up a failed traveling magic show?_ Trixie sighed.  _Any unicorn can use magic! What in Equestria was I thinking?_

She had to stop. Getting depressed was not going to help matters. What  _would_  help matters, even if only a little bit, was solving the problem in front of her.

And while nopony may have wanted her to use her powers, nopony was here right now to  _judge_ , either. Maybe, just maybe...

She closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching for instincts nearly lost over months of discouragement. Her horn pulsed, then glowed. Old, familiar,  _wonderful_  feelings washed over her.

Power and joy intertwined, and coursed through her body. The smallest of smiles crept across her lips. Her horn glowed brighter, its blue light now opaque.

How she had so desperately missed this.

She rode the emotional wave, opened her eyes, and cast the spell.

Her magic enveloped the rock in front of her, weaving all around it until she felt... yes. Yes! Weakness! She turned it over, and struck her hammer in a single exact spot.

It was only the smallest of taps, but the rock crumbled almost to gravel.

_Yes! The breaking point! That's it! Trixie, they may take away your fame, but they can never take away your skill! Nopony can!_

Cackling like a mad mare, she went about making short work of her rock assignment.

Days later, she refined the spell, allowing her to break rocks clean in half. She made a game out of it. First she made halves, then quarters, then eighths. She made sculptures. She made forts. Others she just broke so no one would suspect she was making the best of things.

In time, there were still mostly rocks, but there was a little bit of joy to go with them.

Then one day, she broke a rock in half, and everything changed.

_A fossil? No..._

Trixie gave a puzzled look to the odd horned, winged insignia that was imprinted in the rock she'd just split.

_Why does this look so familiar_ _?_

She scanned the rock with her magic. Its aura was a faint, but deep crimson.

\---

Trixie was cold. Cold and warm. At the same time. Also, sleepy. Lots of things, actually. Still, she opened her eyes.

"What... hummuh... huh?"

Her consciousness returned, her vision cleared, and she soon found the sources of her sensations. She was atop sheets -- very comfortable sheets -- in a large and airy room. All around her were crystal walls giving off a soft shine.

"Trixie?" she hear a familiar voice ask her. "Are you all right?"

"Tw-... Twilight?" Trixie asked weakly.

"Oh, thank goodness. We found you outside, fainted. We weren't sure what happened."

_Fainted?_  Had the sight of the castle shocked Trixie that much? She chastised herself. No matter how understandable, jealousy was a sign of weakness. Around Twilight Sparkle especially, any weakness would be her undoing!

"Here, drink some water. If you want, you can stay here until you recover."

Of course, once in a blue moon, weakness carried benefits. Comfortable, spacious benefits, with your rivals taking care of your every need. The natural order of things. Trixie revoked her self-chastisement, and instead congratulated herself on a plan well-executed.

Twilight levitated a cup towards Trixie, who opened her mouth and sipped. The cool liquid refreshed, bringing her back to full alertness.

"Th-... thank you," Trixie said.

She sat up in the bed. The fluffy, cloud-soft pillow her head had been resting on was replaced with nothingness, and she felt a pang of momentary regret. She looked around.

"Where  _am_  I?" she asked, looking at Twilight. Twilight's face was flushed, and her smile meek. Trixie was used to neither of these things.

"Well..." Twilight took a deep breath. "You're in my house. My new house, I mean."

Trixie stared.

"This castle is  _yours?_ " Trixie raised a hoof, waving it around. "What, so is this your  _bedroom?_ "

"Actually, this a guest room. My bedroom's about a hundred feet in  _that_  direction." Twilight pointed out the door and added in a much quieter voice, "It's much bigger than this, too."

Trixie continued to stare. "I... Trixie has only been gone the better part of a year, Sparkle. What did you do, win the Canterlottery?"

Twilight's blush went deeper. "Um... sort of?"

"Wait." Trixie looked closer, noticing Twilight's sides. "You're a unicorn, are you not? Why do you have wings? Only  _alicorn princesses_  have-"

Trixie froze. She felt herself going faint again. She overcame it and scooted backwards on the bed, pointing at Twilight with a shaking hoof.

"Y-y-you're a p-p-p-p-p-p-"

She lowered her head in her best impression of a bow. Rival or not, it made little sense to trifle with those in positions of power. Which included herself, of course. Just... perhaps not so much right now.

Twilight cocked her head. "Uh, Trixie, what are you doing?"

"Sweet Celestia, the rumors were true," Trixie said in a rushed voice. "I tried not to listen, I tried to ignore, I even threw the so-called 'coronation invitation' away thinking it was a  _joke_ , but..." she trailed off.

"Trixie?" Twilight inched closer. "Seriously, are you okay? Why are you... wait a minute." She did a double take. "Are you  _bowing?_ "

"P-perhaps," Trixie muttered, keeping her gaze averted from Twilight's view.

"Well,  _don't!_ " Twilight put herself right in front of Trixie. "I don't want you to!"

"Why not?" Trixie snapped. "Ponies bow to their princesses! Regardless of our relationship, it's just what's done-"

"Not  _here,_  it's not!" Twilight shook her head. "Look, I have to deal with political meetings in Canterlot from time to time, and when dignitaries bow to me, it always weirds me out."

Trixie cocked her head. "Always?"

"Always. I let it go because it's my job, but that's it. I never  _asked_  for this, it just  _happened_. And it took me this long for me to be okay with it. But there are ponies who, no matter what, I will  _never_  accept bowing from."

Twilight brought Trixie's face to meet hers with one hoof.

"You're one of them."

With their faces aligned, Trixie looked back up into Twilight's eyes. They were... interesting, right now.

She'd seen those eyes angry. She'd seen them scared. She'd seen them indignant, and Luna help her, she'd even seen them defeated.

But never had she seen them so  _determined_.

Curiosity overwhelmed Trixie in short order. Her mind spun with ways to find out more, until she made her decision. "Twilight?"

"Yes, Trixie?"

Trixie got out of bed. Twilight followed, and once Trixie was sure she had Twilight's full attention, she put on one of her trademark confident smiles.

"Can Trixie get a tour of this place?"

Twilight did a double-take. "W-what?"

"You heard Trixie. You don't want her to bow, then she won't -- but in exchange, The Great And Powerful Trixie wishes to know exactly what her greatest rival currently has to work with." She craned her head and looked around the room. "Especially given its impressiveness."

Twilight hesitated, then gave a sheepish chuckle.

"I don't see why not. So long as you don't mind getting lost. I've kind of been doing that all day."

\---

The next hour consisted entirely of Trixie getting far more than she bargained for in terms of knowledge.

Also, stairs. So many stairs, going every which way. Up and down floors, and from wing to wing.

Most of the stair-climbing led her and Twilight to empty rooms and towers, though they'd also passed by Spike's new bedroom. For some reason Twilight made a huge deal about giving her little dragon whelp "his own bed, finally. And with soundproofing! I'll face down deadly dictators any day for that! Twice if we could do it for the rest of the castle."

Still, it was almost too much to absorb. Being led around a royal castle by  _Princess_  Twilight Sparkle, the girl she'd once dueled to a standstill. She imagined attempting to do so again. The resulting mental image made Trixie mildly dizzy.

"And you say this all  _started_  with a spell that switched ponies' very cutie marks and purposes? Bad enough we just got done with a villain able to  _eat_  those." Trixie shuddered again.

Twilight shuddered as well. "The less we talk about Tirek, the better. But yes. It was an ancient spell left over from Starswirl the Bearded's research. I chanted it, and it went awry, switching my friends' special talents, and the lives they led with them! I was just barely able to reverse its effects."

"Trixie had heard tales that Ponyville had come across more than one great calamity after she left, but..." Trixie shook her head. "The more I learn about Starswirl, the more dangerous I believe he was. Perhaps not malevolent, but certainly too smart for his own good. Did you know he was also the father of dimensional space magic? He made all sorts of trouble with that as well."

Twilight looked at Trixie, visibly impressed. Trixie would have gloated if that fact hadn't come to her unbidden. Maybe her studies hadn't completely escaped her after all.

"I did," Twilight said, "but not many other ponies do." Twilight smiled at her. "Sometimes I forget you're a fellow high-level mage."

"Oh, not  _that_  high." Trixie blushed. No, stop it. Rivals. Keep the word in your head, she told herself.  _Rivals._  "Just high enough that ponies notice."

"Oh, here's the kitchen," Twilight said, stopping in front of one of the cellar chambers. "At least, I think it is."

Trixie looked around. There were all sorts of pots and pans and utensils, neatly lined on wall and ceiling racks, not to mention top-of-the-line ranges. "Like the rest of this place, rather large. Also, elaborate. Have the servants gotten used to it yet?"

Twilight blinked. "Servants?"

Trixie walked around the kitchen. "You know. Castle? Servants? These things, they go hoof in hoof. Your mentor's castle is probably crawling with them."

"Don't have any. Don't want any."

Trixie stopped short.

"Hold on, let Trixie get this straight. You're a princess who doesn't want to be bowed to,  _and_  who doesn't want servants?"

"Huh." Twilight blinked. "I guess so."

Trixie gestured around the kitchen. "Well then, what do you plan to do about things like  _this?_  Kitchens require cooks, Sparkle! To make you meals fit for a princess!"

Twilight shrugged. "I guess this is where  _I_  learn how to cook, and make myself meals fit for me. Oddly enough, Spike knows more about cooking than I do. I guess he'll be teaching me for once." Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Pinkie and Applejack could help too. Oh, and washing dishes together could be fun!" She giggled.

"I..." Her mind reeling, Trixie simply shook her head, exhaled and left the room.

Walking to another one, she peeked in through its slightly ajar door, then smiled. "Ahh, now  _here's_  something more like Trixie would expect from you." She chuckled. "Books galore -- oooh, and of course, mostly on magic! Just how much of your castle is made up of these?"

"I used to have more. Either way, they're all down here now. I decided to make the library a basement wing this time."

Trixie blinked. "Any particular reason why?"

"Protection, mainly."

"Protection?"

"Well, when I fought Tirek..." Twilight shuffled from side to side. "Let's just say, my entire house used to be a library. As in, what this place used to be."

Trixie took in the new information, and noted Twilight's crestfallen look. She quickly connected the dots, and gasped.

"This place... Twilight, your home... oh,  _Twilight_ -"

Trixie threw open the door and ran into the library, and saw her fears realized. Several books on the shelves were charred and burnt. Some pages were torn, some eaten away entirely.

Twilight stepped into the library, standing beside Trixie. "I guess you could say it's a fixer-upper," she said, with a rueful grin.

"You don't have to make light of it." Trixie turned to Twilight, put her hooves on her shoulders, and nodded with empathy. "The loss of one's home, one's livelihood, one's source of knowledge... it's never easy. I'm so sorry, Twilight," Trixie said, and she meant it. "I... I speak as someone who's been there."

Twilight gave a solemn nod back. "I know. Thank you, Trixie."

"You say this was Tirek's doing as well?" Trixie asked.

Twilight nodded again, more slowly.

"One minute it was there. The next it was a fragment. It... was hard to take at first. The day after the battle I walked around Ponyville for hours, looking for lost pages. I didn't want to admit it to myself. Some of those books, I'd had since birth -- to say nothing of pictures from my walls, spare parts, decorations and heirlooms..."

She gave a sniff despite herself, and Trixie firmed her grip in response.

"But knowledge can be relearned," Twilight went on. "Books can be rewritten. Memories  _never_  fade. And homes can be rebuilt..."

The two looked at what was left of Golden Oaks's inventory together. The massive shelves dwarfed the small collection. It was technically still a library by all rights, but a broken one.

"...right?" Twilight's voice came in a soft waver.

A silent moment passed, with Trixie deep in thought, until struck by inspiration.

"You know, you  _could_  rebuild. Don't you have princess magic? I'm sure there's a spell we could find that could bring your old home back. Or restore those books you lost, or-"

Twilight shook her head. "Even for alicorn-level magic, I'm afraid some things are impossible. But that's okay. One of my good friends, Applejack, taught me a lesson that stuck with me. If everything in our lives could be restored with a twitch of a horn? We would lose sight of what those things meant to us in the first place."

"So what you're saying is, even if you could bring everything back..."

Twilight gave the smallest of smiles, contrasting the sadness still in her eyes.

"...I wouldn't. I'm going to build the shelves again, book by book. I already picked up a few history texts from the Crystal Empire last week. And things will only grow from there."

Trixie's mind reeled again. She closed her slackened jaw, shaking her head to regain her composure. "You're an odd one, 'Princess Twilight'.  _Very_ , very odd."

Twilight giggled. "Thanks, Trixie. You know, I'm actually glad we had this tour. I've got so much more of this castle mapped out now. But there's one more place I was saving for last."

"There's  _still more?_  Are you  _sure_  there's no dimensional magic holding this place together?"

Twilight giggled. "None that I know about. And it's just one more room. You'll love this one, though. I promise."

The two went back up, climbing twisting staircases to the ground level of the castle, and stopped in front of a huge, golden door.

"I'll let you open it," Twilight said.

Trixie tugged at it with her magic. Then she strained. The door rewarded her struggles with all of a three-inch opening. "Starswirl's  _beard,_ " she said, catching her breath. "This thing weighs a ton!"

Twilight laughed. "Doesn't it, though? I hate opening it too." She added her magic to Trixie's, and the door gave way.

When Trixie walked inside, she made sure to keep her jaw shut this time, if only as a change of pace. However, she still allowed herself a single shocked gasp as she saw what lay inside.

She walked around large ivory-colored crystal chairs, all placed around an equally large table. She recognized the cutie marks imprinted on them -- Twilight's friends. Of course. Her assistant world saviors.

"This... this is incredible," Trixie whispered.

"That's what I said," Twilight replied. "Almost too much. I haven't gone in here too many times. Out of all the big rooms in this place... well, this feels the biggest."

Nodding, Trixie touched the table... and images flashed in her mind.

Unicorns shaking hooves. Squabbles for the fate of the world. Battlefields and peace summits. This very room would be the site of great things. It would be where so many of Equestria's future historical events would begin... and end.

She jerked away from it with an involuntary cry. Too big, as Twilight had said. Too much. So much. She felt herself falling, then caught, in Twilight's forelegs.

"Whoa, Trixie, be careful!"

"Right, right, sorry," said Trixie, getting back on her hooves. "But this place... oh my gosh, the magic in here is off the  _charts!_  Do you know what this is?"

Twilight nodded. "Yup! This is where I and my friends will have meetings to help better serve Equestria. Behold the..." Twilight stopped. "Huh. Actually I  _haven't_  thought of a good name for it yet. I mean, what do you call something that's just a big  _round table_?"

Trixie's shocked gape was back -- only this time, directed at Twilight. "You're kidding, right? You don't know what this is for? Why it would be entrusted to you..." She gestured to the logos on the chairs. "...and you friends?"

"I do," said Twilight with a casual air that made Trixie cringe. "As Princess of Friendship, my job is to spread its magic throughout Equestria. It's a job I gladly accept, but that doesn't mean I fully know how this room figures into that yet. I mean, I'm sure we'll have some meetings in here, but I can't see the future-"

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"Seriously, Sparkle," Trixie said between labored breaths. "Stop. Just  _stop._ "

"Stop what?" Twilight asked.

"Stop  _what?_ " Trixie could feel her temperature rising. She wished to the heavens that she could control it. "Stop being so  _insufferably humble_ , that's stop what! Or oblivious! Or whatever it is that you're doing! Just  _stop it!_ "

"I'm not being humble. Or  _any_  of that other stuff. I just  _got_  this place three days ago! Things keep falling into my lap, and if I thought about all of them all the time, I'd go crazy!"

"Well,  _excuse me_  for not thinking you have the hardest life ever! You and your princesshood, and your castle, and your grand council!" Trixie pounded the table, her voice cracking. "You know what? Forget it! I knew coming here was a mistake to begin with -- but for some reason I just can't get rid of the stupid hold that  _Twilight Sparkle_ has on my mind! And I just figured out why she irks me  _so much!_ "

Trixie walked to Twilight and leaned in, her voice low and razor sharp.

" _Privilege is wasted on the privileged._ "

Trixie disappeared in a flash of blue smoke, leaving Twilight alone in the Room of Friendship.

\---

In an instant, Trixie reappeared back in her carriage.

She took a good look around.

Her old wagon had been tiny, made of wood, and had barely enough room for her to rest. This was spacious. Still a single room, but it held several comforts of life. Shining trinkets adorned her shelves and her dresser, given to her from entertained and grateful ponies.

She'd been proud of it all. So proud.

Until an hour ago.

She looked back out at the gleaming castle, then shut her carriage's blinds, leaving her in darkness.

"...and what have you truly accomplished with your life, Lulamoon?" Trixie asked herself in a shuddering whisper. "What have you proven by throwing everything away?"

_You are destined for great things,_  Princess Celestia's voice echoed in her mind.  _Whether you like it or not._

The last of Trixie's resolve crumbled. She tried her hardest to stop the tears, and failed. They ran, no matter how much her mind screamed for them not to.

Then came the chokes, and finally, the sobs, quiet and sorrowful, her heart squeezing in her chest.

She sat on her bed, sniffling and sobbing, until she lost track of how long she'd been doing both. She cried until it felt normal to do so. She cried until it felt good to cry. She cried, realizing she had been holding it all in for too many years to count.


	3. In Motion

The applause was deafening.

There was no doubt in Trixie's mind that she would receive applause, but she had no idea how  _loud_  it would be. She allowed herself a little bit of a blush before waving to the music hall's crowd, still standing on their hind hooves.

"Thank you so much, Bridleway!" Trixie bellowed. "You've been a wonderful audience. But now, it is time for The Great And Mysterious Trixie to make her exit!"

She disappeared from the stage in a puff of smoke. Awed murmurs, gasps, and delighted squeals erupted from the audience, then gave way to one last round of applause.

Backstage, she took off her hat and wiped sweat from her brow. Whoever said show business wasn't hard work had clearly never done a two-hour magic act. Showcasing everything from basic illusions to dimensional space magic, Trixie had earned her sweat tonight.

Still, when she looked back in the mirror, she smiled. And that smile told her it had all been worth it.

 _For the first time in years, The Great And Powerful Trixie may actually be happy with who_ _she is_ _,_  she thought.

"TrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixieTrixie!"

The voice startled her near out of her horseshoes.

"What? Who  _dares-_ " Trixie whirled around to see a pony rushing into her dressing room. Curses. She'd left it unlocked! Well, at least it was a filly. Foal fans were less annoying by default.

She put her entertainer's face back on. "And what have we here? Hello there, little one!"

"Miss Great And Mysterious Trixie!" the pink-coated, glasses-wearing filly said. "I loved your show and it was awesome and I learned so much from it except I totally know how you pulled off your big finale and-"

"Whoa!" Trixie said amidst laughter. "Slow down there -- and wait a second." She knelt down to the filly's level. "You said you  _know_  how The Great And Mysterious Trixie pulled off her final act?"

"Yep! The one where you pulled an entire drawn carriage out of your hat!"

"All right." Trixie stood back up. This she had to hear. "Tell me how I did it."

"It's simple!" The filly produced a miniature notebook from her wild green mane. She opened up a page to show Trixie a diagram. " _Everypony_  does the rabbit-out-of-a-hat thing in magic shows. It's  _so boring_ , and we can all see right through it! But you're  _Trixie!_ "

"Flattery will only get you so far," Trixie said, holding back a smug grin. "Keep explaining."

"Well, you're the only  _non_ -princess pony who knows enough dimensional magic to show an actual  _whole other place_  on the other side of your hat!" She pointed to the hat on top of Trixie's dresser. "But your hat's still not large enough to pull anything bigger than a rabbit through...  _unless you break it up first_."

Trixie could no longer keep her grin at bay.

"So what happened was that you broke up the carriage down to  _molecules_ , moved 'em through the hat one by one, and put 'em back together on stage!" She threw up her hooves, her notebook flying in the process. "There was a  _huge_  amount of magic going on, but also just as much  _science!_ " The filly looked up in expectancy. "Am I right?"

Trixie laughed. This girl had cracked it! "Looks like you got me. But you can't tell anypony else, okay?" She nudged the filly's forehead. "I see the mark of a mage in you. And you know how secretive we must sometimes be."

"Do I ever!" said the filly. "I wanna grow up and do the same stuff you do!"

Trixie blinked, taken aback. "You... you do?"

The filly calmed down, and rubbed her right foreleg with her left hoof. "Well, yeah. Your act makes ponies happy, right? I... I don't know how long you've been in Manehattan, but it takes a lot to make anyone smile here. Including my family."

Trixie's mind spun in thought. "Dear, what is your name?"

"Gearloose," the filly replied.

"Well, Gearloose, The Great And Mysterious Trixie is going to let you in on a little secret:  _anypony_  can be happy. Anypony can smile. The ability is in them. And you're absolutely right. Our job, as magicians -- as  _entertainers_  -- is to remind them of that very fact. You'd be surprised how long a way it goes."

"Comes a little easier to some ponies than others, though," Gearloose said.

"Now, what makes you say that?"

Gearloose pointed up at her forehead, and Trixie looked. Hair, and nothing else. True enough, Gearloose was an earth pony.

"Pah! No matter." Trixie shook her head. " _All_  ponies are magical. Anyone can entertain audiences with unseen magical wonders! But it takes adherence to a few basic tenets. If you wish to follow this path, there are three things that you need to remember."

Gearloose hopped to attention. "I'm all ears!"

"Excellent. First: never stop learning. Second: never stop practicing. Finally: never compare yourselves to others.  _Especially_  highly magical unicorns. There are ponies, and other things, that will test you every step of the way -- but if you simply stay confident, believing in your own worth, you'll be able to weather any of life's storms."

Trixie put her hooves on the filly's shoulders. "Do these three things, and it will never,  _ever_  matter if you have a horn or not. You'll find out how to walk my path, in your own way -- though hopefully even better than I did. Understand?"

Gearloose nodded, but said nothing. Instead she reached into her mane again and pulled out a small, blue plush doll that had been stuck in it. She gave the doll to Trixie, who turned it around in her hooves. It was crude, but still easily recognizable as herself. Even her cutie mark was there, albeit a little crooked.

"The Great And Mysterious Trixie will treasure this always," Trixie said, with a sincere smile.

She levitated a bouquet of flowers from a nearby vase and gave it to Gearloose. As the filly looked at with curiosity, she said, "It's a trick bouquet. Neverending."

"Never... ending?"

Trixie's horn glowed, and the number of flowers in the bouquet increased in quantity.

"Infuse it with magic, and the flowers will never stop blooming or multiplying. If you, as an earth pony, can make it work, then you're well on your way to your dream."

Gearloose's eyes lit up. " _Thanks,_  Miss Trixie!"

"Gearloose!" A mare's voice sounded from the hallway outside. "Young filly, you had better not be where I think you are!"

Gearloose's face fell. "My parents." She sighed.

"Worry not, young one. Trixie will handle this," she whispered. Raising her head, Trixie called out, "She's in here!"

A mare and stallion walked into the room, and instantly ran towards their daughter. "There you are!" said the mare. "What have we told you about running off?"

"But who knows when we'd ever see her again?" Gearloose protested.

The stallion rolled his eyes. "We're sorry, ma'am. Whenever our daughter decides she wants something..."

"Quite all right," Trixie said. "Your daughter's been nothing short of wonderful."

"She talks about you all the time," said the mare, getting up and shaking Trixie's hoof. "I'm Readmare, and this is my husband Waterfield. We're her parents."

"Yes, I gathered. Listen. I know it's not my place to give... well, advice on raising young ones." She walked to a corner of the room, gesturing for the couple to follow. "But it would appear that this girl has a rather strong dream. I'm sure we've all realized that she will come across some hardships attempting to pursue it."

The parents nodded.

"Still, I speak as somepony who went through several changes and hardships herself to get here." She looked at them earnestly. "Never let her give up, for her reasoning is just and kind. Also, feed her some smiles. I believe she could use them. Manehattan certainly won't provide them unbidden, so they must come from those she trusts the most."

The two ponies hesitated, looked back at their daughter, then back at Trixie. "We understand," Readmare said. "And thanks."

Trixie nodded. "I do what I can. When I can. Farewell, Gearloose." Trixie waved. "I expect great things!"

"I'll do my best!" Gearloose waved back.

The family left, and Trixie was alone again. She turned back to the mirror.

"We do what we can," she and her reflection repeated in unison. "When we can."

 ---

At the sound of several hard knocks, Trixie stirred.

The knocks stopped, and she rolled in her bed in an attempt to resume her rest. She would have succeeded, too, had she not been fully awoken by a thunderclap, followed by the sound of rain.

No choice but to get up, then. Once her head cleared of sleep, she looked down and saw that she had been hugging Gearloose's plush doll in her forelegs.

Had she cried herself to sleep? Shameful. At least nopony had been there to see it.

She nudged her window up just enough to see outside. It was already evening, and sure enough, a storm was in full swing. Heavens, she'd been out for hours. She must have been more tired than she thought.

The knocks started up again.

"Who  _dares_  to disturb-" She stopped herself. It was time to try a different line for once. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's... it's Twilight," said a muffled voice from outside. "Can I come in?"

"T- _Twilight!?_ "

Trixie bristled. The old drive, the old motivation, the  _adrenaline_ , came surging back. Here and now would be the perfect chance, the perfect time, to prove herself,  _to_  herself, against one of Equestria's so-called prin-

Trixie froze.

_Princesses._

The events of earlier that day came back to her. Her heart twisted. Her drive was replaced with hollowness, emptiness. Visions of Princess Twilight, with the world standing behind her, standing over Trixie's face-down, defeated form refused to leave her.

Who was she kidding? The writing was on the wall. It had been for years. A chill rushed through Trixie, punctuated by more thunder outside. She shivered.

"Go away and leave Trixie in peace," was her response.

"Huh? But-"

" _I said go!_ "

Trixie plopped on her bed. All was silence for minutes.

W _hat I should have done with that stupid amulet,_  Trixie thought, _was turn back time! Stopped myself from ever leaving the school! Then maybe I could be half the-_

Her stewing was interrupted by a wonderful scent wafting in through the window.

_What in the world...?_

She opened the window fully, and got a faceful of rain for her troubles. Ignoring this, she looked around to see Twilight Sparkle with an umbrella over her head, and levitating a steaming tin next to herself.

" _Why are you still here?_ " Trixie barked.

"Technically I left, then came back," Twilight said, conjuring an umbrella over Trixie's head. "I thought you might be hungry. These are best when hot, though."

Trixie opened her mouth to refuse Twilight's invitation again. Unfortunately, when she inhaled, the smell invaded her completely. It was a rich, dense sweetness which made her mouth water and her stomach growl.

Hunger overcame stubbornness. She looked back down at Twilight.  _Curse_  that smile. The smile of superiority, no doubt.

Trixie sighed and closed the window. She carefully tucked the doll of herself in a nearby drawer, and did a quick straightening-over spell to put her mane and coat in order. She lit the magic lamps on her wall with quick illumination spells. Finally, she cast one more spell to unlock and open the carriage's door.

She ran one last nervous hoof through her mane, then said, "You may enter."

Twilight Sparkle stepped inside, levitating the still-steaming tin behind her. She looked around. "Wow. I mean, I know it's big on the outside, but..."

Trixie shrugged. "Trixie is simply good at using space. When you travel with your home, you have to. Now, what is that you have there?" She pointed to the tin. "Are you trying to  _poison_  The Great And Powerful-"

"Trixie." Twilight cut her off. "I would never do that. Not to you. Besides, think about it. As a princess of Equestria, how would that look?"

Trixie thought about it. "The Great And Powerful Trixie finds your explanation acceptable." She looked closer at the tin, taking a sniff. The heavenly, sugared scents filled her nostrils, more intensely than before. "Truly, then, what... what  _are_  these? They smell..." The word escaped against her will. "... _spectacular_."

"Hay and oatmeal cookies," said Twilight. "Fresh, too."

Trixie stopped, and looked straight at Twilight with an accusing glare. "Did these come from your kitchen?"

"No," Twilight said, with a laugh. "Cookie-baking is next week's lesson. These are from Sugarcube Corner. It's a bakery close by."

Trixie's face brightened. "Ahhh, you went to professionals! Clearly you understand that Trixie warrants naught but the best." She patted the cushion beside her, motioning for Twilight to sit. Twilight did so.

"Excellent. And now, you may feed Trixie." Trixie opened her mouth.

Twilight shook her head. "Sorry, but I've gotta draw the line somewhere. You want food, you'll need to feed yourself."

Trixie huffed. "Fine, fine, but only this once." She grabbed a cookie, took a bite, and gave a small sound of pleasure. "These cookies are  _worthy_  of Trixie! Congratulate yourself, Sparkle, for there can be no higher compliment."

"Glad you like them. I'll have to send Mrs. Cake those compliments, though."

Trixie blinked. "Mrs. Who?"

"She's the one who baked these. She runs Sugarcube Corner with her husband. And sometimes Pinkie Pie," Twilight added after some thought.

Trixie chuckled in remembrance. "The pink pony whose mouth Trixie stole last time she was here?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Same one," she said dryly. "I'm surprised you know her name, though."

"It was impossible for Trixie not to. The Pie family are celebrities in all things granite. You work on a rock farm, you can't escape  _any_  of their names." Trixie scoffed. "Mind you, Trixie has no clue why this is, and doesn't particularly care. Rock farming is a  _dreadful_  'profession' that The Great And Powerful Trixie was not built for, and will never go  _back_  to, so help her Celestia."

Not knowing how to respond, Twilight instead left the bed and wandered around the room. Her eyes fell to the several shiny trophies. "You probably don't have to worry about that. It looks like you've been busy."

"The Great And Powerful Trixie is always busy! If you don't stay on your toes, someone  _will_  come along and make your act obsolete."

"But you've been  _everywhere_." She pointed to an especially large golden goblet. "Look at all these magic competition prizes! What pony  _doesn't_  know your name?"

Trixie cocked her head. "If you're trying to butter me up, Sparkle, it won't work. The Great And Powerful Trixie is already quite aware of how great and powerful she is."

"I know it might sound like buttering up, but I'm not." Twilight turned back to look at Trixie. "You know how I said when I attend political gatherings, it always weirds me out?"

After a short hesitation, Trixie slowly nodded.

"Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg. I never was a very social pony. I only learned how nice it was to know lots of other ponies when I moved here a few years back. Performing in front of others might be easy for you, but I have to muster up all my nerve just to stay silent in front of a procession. I'm actually jealous."

"Hmmmm." Trixie put her hoof to her chin. "I suppose that makes sense. You really didn't get out much as a filly, did you?"

Twilight did a double take. "How did you kno-" She sighed. "Well, I guess lots of ponies are hearing more and more of the 'Great Princess Twilight Sparkle's' humble origins," she said in a derisive tone.

"Mmmm," Trixie replied. "Something like that."

She left the bed and stepped in front of Twilight, peering straight at her. Twilight did the same, with a confused expression.

Trixie levitated another cookie to her muzzle, and munched. She closed her eyes, basked in the flavor, and relaxed. "Twilight?"

"Yes, Trixie?"

The nervousness returned. Trixie turned her back to Twilight, tapping her hoof on the floor repeatedly and doing her best not to shake.

"T-The Great And Powerful Trixie w-wishes to... ask for forgiveness regarding her outburst a few hours ago. She was a guest in another's home, and no matter one's opinion, it is ever uncouth to sound out such sentiments."

There. It was out. After a few deep breaths, the nervousness passed. Good riddance to it -- nervousness was the bane of all performance artists.

Twilight blinked in surprise. "I... uh... wow. Apology accepted," she said.

Trixie didn't reply.

"But you wanna know something?" Twilight continued. "I actually agreed with you."

Trixie whirled around. " _What?_ "

"You think the castle intimidates  _you?_  I have to  _live_  in it. All the time. It's still overwhelming. And I keep getting lost! Heck, that's kind of why I came out here."

"You're kidding," said Trixie, now not knowing  _what_  to think.

Twilight shook her head. "Like I said, a lot of this fell into my lap. I know I should be grateful for it all, and I know I've done a lot of hard work to get to this point. But that doesn't mean I ever  _plan_  to be rewarded for it, nor does it mean I know what to do when I am." Twilight chuckled. "Not that it stops my friends from giving suggestions. Rarity is always telling me to 'live a little,' and now that she knows she has a seat in the castle,  _believe me_ , she-"

Trixie cut Twilight off with boisterous laughter.

Twilight took a step back. "W-w-what's so funny?"

"Ah, yes, Rarity!" Trixie said amidst laughs. "Sorry, it's just that I know  _her_  as the reason so many ponies are prancing about in hotel curtains on Bridleway these days! The Great And Powerful Trixie has never witnessed a sight so hilarious! She almost wishes she has that sort of influence."

Once Trixie's words sunk in, Twilight's eyes lit up, and she laughed as well. "She'll be so glad to hear that! Wow, so you've been to Manehattan recently?"

Trixie's eyes glinted. "Perhaps."

Twilight gave a little hop. "See? This is  _exactly_  what I meant earlier! It's got to be the most amazing thing ever to be able to see the world, yet  _always be home._ "

Trixie scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous! What are you talking about? A grand home, atop an owned plot of land is a symbol of your success as a pony!" She turned her head and gave a small 'hmph'. "Please. I know patronization when I see it, Sparkle."

To Trixie's surprise, Twilight walked around and gave a challenging glare in response. "Do you really?"

"W-what?" Trixie stammered, thrown off guard.

"When I need to see Princess Celestia in Canterlot, I need to take a train there. If it then turns out I need something from my house, I have to go  _back_. This is to say nothing of if I have to visit the Crystal Empire, or if I just feel like seeing my family on the spur of the moment, or I go to whole a new place that needs my help!"

"Your point?"

Twilight sighed. "The  _point is_ , if I didn't have a dragon able to transport things to me, I'd practically  _live_  on the train." She gave a small flap of her wings. "Or in the sky, I guess. But the kind of freedom your carriage offers allows you to make and see friends all over the world, without stopping for a  _second_  unless you want to! To say nothing of entertaining them. All of that's a lot harder to do if your home's rooted to one spot." Twilight giggled. "Pun not intended."

Trixie rolled her eyes at the joke, but otherwise was set to thinking again. Why did this girl have a halfway-sensible point for  _everything_?

"When you put it that way... I suppose it has its benefits. My wagons have seen many miles in pursuit of the perfect magic act."

"I believe it!" Twilight nodded, gesturing around the room. "Especially given my new responsibilities, I can't see this as anything but efficient. Not to mention fun."

And before Trixie could react, Twilight scooped Trixie's hooves into hers. She stared into the blue unicorn's eyes with a serene smile.

"Can we ride somewhere, Trixie? Please?"

Trixie's blush would have been impossible for even Celestia to prevent. To say nothing of how warm she was suddenly feeling.

"I-I-I don't see why not..." Trixie's head darted left and right. "But Ponyville's a little out of the way. I have no idea what notable place we could ride to at this time of night without it being morning by the time we got there."

Twilight conjured a map of the area, marked an X at its eastern end, and showed it to Trixie.

"We won't have to go far. But there's a place I'm sure would give you a much nicer view than my crazy shiny castle."

"Hmmmm." Trixie looked at the map, which showed a clear trail that gradually became narrower the further on it went towards Twilight's marked destination. "Alright, this is doable."

She applied her own magic to the map, enveloping it in a blue light. Soon, that light coated the outside of the carriage, and it moved.

"Wow!" Twilight bounced to the window, looking out at the moving Ponyville nightscape as the carriage picked up speed. "It's like a theme park ride!"

Lounging on the bed, Trixie yawned. "Quit that. I swear, you're like a schoolfilly."

"Oh, come on. You mean you've never looked out of your carriage before just to enjoy the view?"

"Of course I used to! But when you  _live_  in it, it sort of becomes old hat."

"What about looking with someone else? That tends to make the old new again."

"Pfft. What do you  _mean_ , someone else? You're..."

Trixie fell quiet. She shook her head.

"You're still very,  _very_ , odd. But Trixie will humor you just this once."

She left the bed, walked over to the window and stood next to Twilight.

The rain was down to a light drizzle. The moon was peeking ever-so-slightly out from behind the clouds. If weather patterns held, it would be be a nice breezy summer night.

 _She can't be right... can she?_ thought Trixie as she looked out the window.  _Pah. I'm only testing a theory. So what if she's the first pony to ride with me in this carriage?_

She looked at Twilight, who was still entranced by the view.

 _Or_ any _of my carriages?_

Twilight's ear twitched. Trixie jolted in place, and quickly turned her head back to the window.

_Don't look at her! Keep your eyes front. I don't know why I keep listening to her tonight anyway._

Trixie looked up at the moon, which was still struggling to escape the clouds.

It was clear the storm wouldn't let it do so without a fight.


	4. To the Stars

After twenty minutes of leisurely, self-guided travel, Trixie's carriage slowed to a stop at the eastern edge of Ponyville. She and Twilight opened its doors, and stepped out.

The rain had stopped a short time ago. Twilight and Trixie walked on grass, moist under their hooves. A peaceful meadow lay all around them, surrounded by trees, and overlooking a calm river a short distance away.

A cool breeze blew through the warm air. Trixie allowed herself a smile.

"This is certainly scenic," she said. "You picked a good spot. I'm surprised ponies don't use it more often. Especially on a night as nice as this."

"Well, it's close to the Everfree Forest," said Twilight, "and ponies are sort of taught to stay away from there no matter what. But this area is far enough from the forest that there's no real danger."

Trixie looked over to the trees. She'd indeed heard of the Everfree Forest, but had never made a point to actually venture inside.

She conjured a blue blanket, flapping it to spread it out. "And I'm guessing this makes a perfect thinking spot for Miss Studious Sparkle?"

"It used to be," Twilight replied. "Then... things changed."

Trixie cast a drying spell over a large patch of grass, then laid the blanket on top of it. "Oh?"

Twilight nodded. "Now I come here whenever I  _don't_  want to think. When I don't want to think about any kind of weight of the world being on my shoulders, or who needs my help, or even who has overdue library books." She walked closer to the river. "I... I can just sit or lie here and be Twilight Sparkle, Student of Nothing,  _Princess_  of Nothing. Just one girl in the wide world of Equestria... and nothing else." Twilight gave a long sigh.

The alicorn's disposition wasn't lost on Trixie. She could read whole audiences -- a single pony was foal's play. She gestured to the blanket. "You should sit. Moist grass is only fun for so long."

"You're right. Thanks, Trixie."

"Mm-hmm."

Twilight stepped towards the blanket, levitated herself and cleaned off her hooves, then stepped on. Unseen by Twilight, Trixie gave a small smile and nod of approval.

Twilight sighed in contentment as she sat on the soft, comfortable blanket. "Let the nothingness begin." She idly levitated a small nearby pebble, and flung it towards the river. It skipped three times.

"Hmmm," Trixie said, observing the river. Perhaps she could take on two birds with a single pebble. She levitated one of her own.

"En garde, Sparkle."

Twilight blinked. "What?"

"This is where Trixie challenges your magical prowess at last!" She flung her pebble at the river with her magic as hard as she could. After six full skips, it sank. "Beat  _that,_ " she said with a toothy, satisfied grin. "If you can."

"Ha!" Twilight said, her face brightening. "You're looking at the rock-skipping champ of... well, nowhere really, but Canterlot knew my name for more than one reason!" She flung another pebble towards the river with her magic.

Trixie looked on and counted, squelching her nervousness. "One... two... three... four... five...  _ha!_ " The blue unicorn raised her hooves. "Victory is Trixie's!"

The pebble bounced one more time before sinking.

"Six," said Twilight. "Guess we're tied."

Trixie gagged. " _Clearly_  you cheated!"

Twilight laughed. "Who cheats to  _tie_?"

"Ponies who don't know how to cheat  _correctly,_  that's who!"

Twilight gave Trixie a mischievous look. "Are you calling yourself an expert on the subject?"

"I-... wha-...  _no!_ " Trixie flushed. "B-but you travel enough and you learn the type, is all." She crossed her forelegs and turned her head away from Twilight. "Anyway, fine. We're tied. And you can't take it back!"

Twilight reached over and put her hoof on Trixie's shoulder... and suddenly there was that  _frustrating_  warmth again, hitting Trixie in waves. She concentrated on the breeze to take her mind off of it.

"I'm fine with that," Twilight said.

\---

"Well...  _good_ ," said Trixie, declining to remove Twilight's hoof. "Because you no longer have any choice in the matter."

"Speaking of choice..." Twilight moved closer so that she was sitting directly beside the unicorn. "...Trixie? Is it okay if I ask something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Trixie kept her head turned away, and looked out at the river. "What is it?"

Upon not hearing a response, Trixie turned her head to face Twilight... and realized Twilight had been watching her intently the whole time.

"I've been noticing some marks on your coat for a while now," Twilight said. "Have you been crying?"

Trixie gasped, conjured a mirror and looked at her makeup.  _Curses!_  How could she have forgotten to tend to face after waking up? For all this time, no less?

" _No!_ " she said, just a little too loudly. She blushed as she cast a quick face-clearing spell. "I-I mean, sorry, no. I've just been thinking tonight. Hard. Very,  _very_  hard. You  _wish_  you could think as hard as The Great And Power-"

"About what?"

"Well, about..." Trixie trailed off and shook her head. "Nothing important."

Twilight raised a tentative hoof up to Trixie's cheek. Trixie bristled at the contact, but as with before, didn't move or bat it aside. The lightest of hoof-touches was the least Trixie could allow Sparkle for managing to duel her to a draw. If she tried it too many times, however, she would naturally have to be taught not to overstep her bounds.

"Trixie," said Twilight. "I truly want to know."

 _Why?_  Why was this girl so insufferably insistent?

More silence passed before Trixie closed her eyes and answered, in the softest of voices, just barely audible above the sound of the river.

"What care you, the greatest of Equestria's successes, about the thoughts of a failed and terrible pony?"

Twilight recoiled and gasped, surprising the unicorn with her volume and force. " _Trixie!_ "

"What?" Trixie snapped. "It's true! Don't try to deny it!"

"I'll do  _more_  than deny it," said Twilight. "Trixie, I've seen terrible. I've  _fought_  terrible. Nightmare Moon? That was terrible. Lord Tirek? That was  _beyond_  terrible. You are  _not_  terrible. A terrible pony would  _not_  have apologized or owned up to her mistakes last time she was here, not to mention back in the carriage! I don't profess to know what goes on in your head, Trixie, but I'll say this: terrible doesn't have a conscience, and you've shown that you do. Am I making any sense?"

Trixie took some time to mull over Twilight's words. "Draw it is, then," she said once she had done so.

"What?"

"Trixie was not kidding about that little match we had a few minutes ago. She has decided that that was her  _official_  rematch challenge. And it ended in a draw, so we're tied." She gave a small smile. "The Great And Powerful Trixie... ties with you."

"I-..." Twilight gaped. "That's seriously what you're sticking with? I expected a full-on magic duel! You know, huge spells flying and stuff..."

"The Great And Powerful Trixie subverts all expectations! Besides, Trixie knows her limits. This?" She gestured to Twilight's wings, then pointed to the crystal tree castle, the highest spire of which could still be seen across the river. "And that? Would be quite the task to overcome through sheer magic force, even for Trixie. Therefore, Trixie is content to remain tied with a Princess of Equestria."

She paused, then added, "For now."

Twilight processed everything Trixie had said... then started giggling. "It only took this much, huh?"

"Trixie is being quite serious," Trixie said, turning up her nose.

Twilight kept giggling. "I don't doubt it. But you do realize you've been the only one keeping score this whole time, right?

Trixie gave Twilight a derisive look. Her eyes narrowed to slits.

"It's not as if I didn't have ample reason."

"Oh? And what would that reasoning be?"

Trixie walked to her carriage, then inside. She looked towards a corner of the room, and opened a box with her magic. Out came a folder, which she gave to Twilight upon returning to her. Twilight looked through the papers, her eyes widening when she saw what they were.

"These are... attendance papers for Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns?" She blinked in realization. "...wow, I  _didn't_  get out much, did I?"

"No," Trixie said, dryly. "You really didn't. You were inside your special tower so much, but you were the yardstick by which all the other students were measured, and measured themselves."

Trixie rolled her eyes and flourished a hoof towards Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle, the magical genius, the pride of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, now and forever." She paused. "Well, you and some other girl named 'Sunset Shimmer,' but talk of her faded not long after I enrolled. It was a bit weird."

Twilight didn't reply.

"Trixie, however, is not fond of being in the shadow of others. And she had a hunch that if she stayed at the School, such would be her fate. Her destiny would forever be out of her hooves. So she left to take charge of it herself! Before..." Trixie took a deep breath. "Before my schooling was complete."

"So  _that's_  why you're not in my yearbook."

"I suppose?" Trixie shrugged. "For years, I had no regrets. Then I found out what  _happened_  to Twilight Sparkle, who stayed under Celestia's tutelage the entire time, and unbeknownst to her, had so much of her life  _mapped out-_ "

"My life was  _not_  planned!" Twilight snapped.

" _The parts that matter in the eyes of history were!_ " Trixie shot back.

A breeze blew, audible in the silence of the meadow. When Trixie spoke again, her voice shook.

"Trixie apologizes. She didn't mean that the way it sounded. It's just... the parts where you made Equestria a better place... Celestia knew they would happen. You have no  _idea_  just how proud of you she was back then, before you even had the chance to do anything! But the rest of us did. Celestia never said as much in words, but through her actions, and all the attention she paid you... we knew. It was obvious."

Trixie exhaled, wiping her eyes.

"But I guess it all paid off. I mean, when I first came here and saw you, I thought it was a fluke. A coincidence. Not  _the_  Twilight Sparkle, I said. No one with her upbringing would have any reason to be  _that_  humble. Then you handled the Ursa."

Trixie fed Twilight a lopsided grin. Twilight simply blushed.

"And I kept hearing things afterward. Discord. The changelings. The Crystal Empire, where even your  _dragon sidekick_  got to make a name for himself! Your achievements just wouldn't stop, and since  _everypony_  was talking, I could never avoid hearing about them. For months on end.  _Years._ "

Trixie stood and walked to the edge of the blanket.

"To be constantly reminded of how much better, how much more  _useful_ , one could have been... is it any wonder I went for that  _stupid_  amulet?" She paused. "Not... not that I'm defending those actions, of course." Her face grew hot, and she bowed her head. "A-at all."

"Of course," said Twilight, her voice level and patient.

"And I..." Trixie brushed her hoof against the blanket, still studying the grass. "Trixie also wants you to know that she's not blaming you for anything. She made her own mistakes." She tittered. "Pretty good at that, actually."

"Trixie."

Twilight walked in front of Trixie, and took both hooves in hers. Probing, hopeful eyes met forlorn, misty ones.

"Like I said before, I don't know what you're thinking, but in case you're wondering? I'm not mad. You've been through so much, and I only ever asked because... well, you're always here one minute, then gone the next. I wanted to know more about you."

Trixie closed her eyes, took a heavy breath, then opened her eyes again. Twilight was still there. Still smiling.

Trixie was starting to not mind that smile so much.

"And it's working," Twilight continued. "Honestly, a lot of this makes perfect sense. Even for unicorns who  _weren't_ me, the School was a symbol of security. We knew we'd learn tons there, and be prepared for so much. But you still left. Not because you wanted to stop learning, but because you thought there was more to know  _beyond_  the School."

Her voice became soft and reverent. "That's really brave, Trixie. Facing the unknown head-on like that? That's something I never could have done back then, and something I don't like doing now. And I don't think anypony would have seen it coming, either."

Trixie looked out at the river. Her eyes traveled its length, trying and failing to determine where it ended.

The words were helping. Truly, they were. She appreciated them. If only she believed them as much as Twilight clearly did.

Trixie sniffled. "Princess Celestia certainly didn't see it coming. Yet she seemed..." She hesitated. "...she seemed to still have faith in me."

Twilight giggled. "She does that a lot."

Trixie let go of Twilight's hooves, stepped back, and replied in a shaky whisper. "Sometimes she's wrong."

Twilight shook her head. "Trixie, no..."

Trixie shook her head  _harder_. "Stop it, Twilight. Just... just stop. If I could take it back, go back to that 'symbol of security,' do it all over again, I  _would_. In a heartbeat!"

"But  _why?_ " Twilight pressed.

"Do you truly not understand?" Trixie said, her voice cracking. "Look at you! Look at me!  _Look at what we've become!_ "

"I have been! This whole time!" Twilight's voice followed suit. " _And I don't see anything wrong with what's become of either of us!_ "

For a full ten seconds, the only sounds to be heard in the meadow were the rushing of the river, the chirping of crickets, and the sound of two mares catching their breath.

"I'm not better than you," said Twilight, "and you're not better than me. This whole night we've been talking about how much we both envy what the other has.  _You're_  the one who proposed the idea of us being tied. Do you really believe in it?"

"I..." For the first time in as long as she could remember, The Great And Powerful Trixie was genuinely unsure of something. "I think so. Maybe."

"Well, I know so." Twilight took Trixie's hoof, and Trixie allowed herself to be led to the river's bank. Twilight looked up at the stars, and Trixie did so as well. Specks of light shot across the nightscape, acting as decorations for a full moon.

Twilight took a deep breath, the night air cool across her nostrils, clearing her mind and allowing her to best choose her words.

"All your talk about your old choices and turning back time... if you think you're alone, you're wrong. There's never a day I don't think about what might have been. I may finally know why I'm a princess, and what to do... but I'm still going to have to make so many choices after today. Choices where lives could hang in the balance. I've hardly been here as long as Princess Celestia or Luna. I don't have anywhere  _near_  their experience and wisdom. But, when the time comes, I'll have to be the princess making choices anyway."

Trixie gave a slow nod, silently listening.

"And I think... I think that's the point," Twilight said, her expression thoughtful. "I stuck my nose in so many books, thinking they would allow me to know what exactly to do in every situation, ever. Then, over the last few years, I got hit with a  _bunch_  of situations where I had to just wing it." She turned to face Trixie. "I'm  _terrible_  at winging it. But I know somepony who isn't."

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Trixie in an outright hug, and rested her head on Trixie's shoulder.

"And I wish she'd stop feeling sorry for herself long enough to realize that there's  _so much_  she can teach me."

And there Trixie stood, trapped -- short of a teleportation spell -- in the embrace of a girl who had just done something Trixie never thought possible.

She was used to praise from audiences. But what Twilight was doing... this was new.

This was praise she didn't work for. That she hadn't planned for via an act.

_Does Twilight actually like Trixie... for Trixie?_

Her mind turned the notion over and over, trying to decide whether or not she liked it. After long enough, her heart made the decision for her.

A chuckle bubbled up from her chest. Then, a mirthful giggle. She wrapped her forelegs around Twilight in return, running a hoof through Twilight's mane. She sniffled, knowing Twilight probably saw the tears. Trixie didn't care. She knew behind her tears were eyes filled with renewed confidence.

"Of course Trixie can teach you." Trixie sniffled again. "But Trixie is glad that you finally admit it."

\---

The ride back to the castle was wordless, with Trixie deep in thought.

Twilight Sparkle considered her an equal. Not a rival. And she wanted to learn. From  _Trixie_.

But learn  _what_  from her, exactly? Just how to present oneself to a crowd? Anypony could teach that. Trixie had the contact information for a traveling bull who had been in Ponyville for a while -- he certainly could have taught anypony there how to be more confident in front of others. Heck, that boisterous blue Wonderbolt-wannabe of a weather pegasus was actually  _friends_  with Twilight. Why hadn't she been tapped?

Why did Twilight choose  _Trixie_?

And why did the thought fill Trixie with naught but satisfaction? She'd come here to  _win_.

Hadn't she?

She looked over at Twilight, who was once again looking out the window. Not as energetically as last time, but it was clear she was still very much enjoying the proceedings.

Trixie wondered what Twilight was thinking.

\---

Once the ride was over, Trixie parked the carriage next to Twilight's castle and the two exited.

"Enjoy your 'theme park ride', Twilight?" Trixie asked.

Twilight giggled. "Very much. Thank you."

"Heh. Good. So what is this thing you said you wanted to show me?"

Twilight gave a little hop. "Ooh, yes! Follow me."

They entered the castle, and Twilight led Trixie up to the top floor, in a direction she didn't remember going on the tour. Eventually they came to a door bearing Twilight's cutie mark. Twilight flung it open.

"This is my room. I figured if you were nice enough to let me into yours..." Twilight shrugged. "Watch your step, there's spell stuff  _everywhere_. Also, books."

Trixie looked around. The room was spacious, but less furnished than even Trixie's -- rebuilding was taking place here as well, apparently. Still, Trixie briefly considered playing hopscotch with the pockets of free space she could see on the floor.

"You don't say. All this room and you still manage to make a mess of things."

Twilight laughed. "I've actually gotten a lot better. You should have seen my room back in Canterlot. I once buried myself in an entire  _sea_  of books because I never put them back after I was done using them."

Twilight walked to a shelf on the far end of the room. Sitting on a shelf were several scrolls which, thankfully,  _were_  organized. She levitated them towards Trixie, whose eyes widened when she unraveled them.

"These are..." Trixie rubbed her eyes, looked again, and gasped. "Flyers!  _My_  flyers! From my revival tour!" She turned to the alicorn. "Twilight, I don't understand. Why do you have these?"

Twilight gave a confident nod. "When I heard your show had started up again, I did what I could to keep up with it, even if I couldn't go see it myself."

Trixie looked over the scrolls again. Apart from being rolled up, they were still in completely pristine condition. "But why? Why go through so much trouble?"

Twilight brushed her hoof on the floor. "Well, I won't lie. At first it was because... well, after the last time you were here, I got a little scared. N-not of you, but... you know... possible... potential  _amulet_ -related troubles?"

Trixie sighed and bowed her head, her ears drooping. "N-no, that's completely understandable. Keep your friends close, and..." Trixie trailed off.

"Neither of us is finishing that sentence."

Trixie looked back up to see that Twilight had stepped in front of her, and was now giving the warmest smile she could.

Trixie blushed at the smile, then looked back at her flyers. In retrospect, some were better designed than others, but she'd learned valuable lessons making them all. In the end, that was what mattered.

Twilight went about levitating books and spell ingredients from the floor onto a nearby shelf. "After a while, when I saw the posters -- and the listed locations -- becoming more and more elaborate, I knew I could rest easy. Even if you somehow don't see yourself as anypony special, Trixie? I always have. From struggling egotistical magic act, to rock farmer, to would-be despot, and finally to beloved showmare. Your journey's no less important than mine --  _because_  it was yours. And both of our journeys have allowed us to bring happiness to ponies in our own ways."

Trixie turned her head and 'tch'ed. "You're really going the full nine yards with this 'cheer-me-up' stuff, aren't you?"

"Is it working at all?" Twilight asked.

Trixie snickered. "Well, don't quit your day job, Princess."

Twilight laughed. "Back at you. Especially since you seem to have gone from beggar to Bridleway at the speed of a Sonic Rainboom."

"Well, it has been said that The Great And Powerful Trixie defies explanation! Unless, of course..." Trixie took a deep breath. "...it comes from Trixie herself."

Twilight said nothing, giving Trixie an inquisitive stare. Sensing interest, Trixie stepped closer to Twilight.

"Do... do you want to know what really happened? I-I mean, instead of getting your information secondhoof," Trixie said.

Twilight nodded. "I'd like nothing better. You know I love learning things."

Trixie nodded, this time welcoming the warmth in her chest instead of ignoring or questioning it. She cast a spell, and a rectangular window appeared before them. On it was displayed Trixie in various states of either solitary meditation, or performances in front of others, in several cities.

"After you freed me from the Alicorn Amulet's control, I realized how low I'd stooped for something so petty. The more I thought about it, the more mortified I became. I asked myself just why I'd left the School in the first place. What I really wanted to do. And that was when I realized... trying to win ponies by force was never part of my plan. I had let my confidence become conceit."

The magical window showed a Trixie in tattered clothes experimenting feverishly with new spell techniques. Trixie sighed in pained reminiscence. Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Trixie's side, which Trixie gently grasped with an acknowledging nod.

"I started my show back up, making sure to remember what I'd realized. And... ponies liked it. Well they did eventually. No one was buying at first, of course. They even  _threw_  things. But I never let myself get discouraged. I never cut my act short.

"Eventually, the tomatoes stopped flying. Ponies listened. They came out to shows again. They paid again, and I was able to put my new carriage together.  _Three_  times bigger than the old one." The rectangle faded, and Trixie's voice went to a whisper. "I was so happy with myself, Twilight. Happier than I'd ever been."

"And you still should be. Because you earned every bit of it."

Trixie nodded. "I only came here to test my magic fair and square this time. No silly trinkets."

"We still can, if you want. I'd actually like a practice partner. Ponyville isn't exactly lousy with practicing mages."

"Trixie will consider it," she said, a familiar glint in her eyes. "Princess or not, Sparkle, I've still got some tricks that can catch you off guard!"

Twilight snickered. "Like rock tossing?"

The old Trixie challenging stare was officially back. "Like sending you to the moon. Or at least making you  _think_  I have."

The challenge didn't last and Trixie relaxed, sighing. "Right now, however? Dueling is the furthest thing from Trixie's mind. After tonight, she has so much to think about, but even the thought of  _thinking_  does little but tire.

"Does..." Trixie hesitated, then decided simply to blurt it out. "...does that offer to stay the night still stand?"

Twilight shook her head, a somber look on her face. "Sorry, but it doesn't."

Following Trixie's dejected look, Twilight winked and put her hoof on Trixie's shoulder.

"Because one night won't cut it. I want you to take as much time as you need. All of Equestria's just been through a lot. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to face someone like Tirek. Until you're ready to resume your tour, my castle is your castle."

Upon processing those words, Trixie stood and stared at Twilight in stunned, dumbfounded silence.

Yet  _again_  with the displays of generosity! Were their places reversed, Trixie would have  _charged_. This was madness. This was nonsense!

It was  _wonderful_.

Trixie no longer saw reason to hold anything back. Wordlessly, she leapt forward, and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight as hard as she could.

"Twilight," she softly said, "If you believe it from no one else, believe it from me, who has been jealous of you for  _years_. You bring honor to the title of Princess. Let none tell you otherwise."

Twilight hugged back, soft coats and warmth channeling happiness between them. "Thank you, Trixie. Coming from you, that means the world."

"Trixie is...  _I'm_... glad to hear it."

They stayed in each others' forelegs for a minute more, basking in the quiet, joyful moment.

Finally, reluctantly, Twilight let go. "Now, I know you said you're tired. I am too, and it's been a long night. We've got one last problem to deal with, though."

"What's that?"

Twilight walked towards the bed in the center of the room. "The guest rooms are on the other side of the castle. It's a very,  _very_  long walk, even if we don't get lost. And neither of us knows this place well enough for transport spells to be reliable."

Truly, this castle held no end to complications. Trixie crinkled her nose in disapproval.

Then a pillow hit her from stage right. It was soft enough that Trixie almost hadn't noticed.

She caught the pillow as it fell. She squeezed it. She squeezed it  _again_. She did not want to  _stop_  squeezing or pressing her head against it.

"I... I'd swear this were a  _cloud_  were I not looking directly at it.  _These_  are the pillows you use?" Trixie said, awed.

"Maybe." Twilight patted the king-sized bed, clad in lavender linens, which she was already lying in. "And I promise you, the mattress feels  _three_ _times_  as nice." She blushed. "That is, if you don't mind sharing such a close space with your 'fated rival' for one night. It's up to you, though."

As Trixie mulled her options over, Twilight sent quick jolts to the magic lamps around her room, turning out all but one.

Trixie looked at the floor. It was shiny, it was sturdy... but she was  _not_  built for sleeping on floors.

Also, books.

She looked at the bed, then walked to it, gingerly pulled the covers aside, and crawled in. Once she was in -- oh gosh, Twilight was right, it  _did_  feel three times as nice -- she turned to one side, and saw Twilight directly in front of her, wearing yet another one of those infectious smiles.

She returned it.

She moved to turn back over when Twilight grabbed her, darted forward, and gave the blue unicorn a soft kiss to the forehead. She lingered there several moments before pulling away.

Even after Twilight let go, Trixie's body refused to move, no matter how much she willed it.

Twilight turned back over and sent a spell to the final lamp, leaving the room in darkness. "'Night, Trixie," she said, with a yawn. "We can talk more tomorrow."

Once the shock finally wore off, Trixie lay on her back and gave a long, mock-dramatic sigh. She looked up at the ceiling, which reflected the smallest amount of moonlight.

 _It would appear that Trixie has won after_ _all_ , she thought.

Closing her eyes, she smiled to herself.

 _As if there were ever any doubt_.

~fin~


End file.
